1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for holding and rotating an automobile body or other vehicle to any position about a horizontal axis and to lock in place with a foot-operated brake to facilitate restoration or repairs.
2. Background of the Invention
When repairing and restoring automobile bodies it is often necessary to perform major repairs to the lower part of the vehicle body as well as the underside due to rust or other damage. It is difficult to perform these repairs when the vehicle is in an upright position because access to the damaged areas is limited and often requires the worker to repair the damaged area by crawling underneath the vehicle.
One approach for gaining access to the lower and underside of a vehicle is to raise the vehicle on a hydraulic lift or jack stands. This may give the worker more space to do the repairs, however he is still required to reach over his head and work at an uncomfortable angle.
Another technique is to tilt or rotate the vehicle horizontally to expose the underside for better access, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,361 issued Aug. 24, 1993 to Liquid. This device has a lifting mechanism and swivel skids shaped in a quarter circles. The vehicle is attached to the device at the wheel hubs on one side of the vehicle. When the lifting arm is raised the vehicle is tilted along the swivel skids to rotate the vehicle approximately 90°. This method allows for access to the underside of the vehicle, but it does not rotate the vehicle a full 360°. It also requires that the vehicle is still assembled with its suspension intact. Often during a vehicle restoration, the vehicle is disassembled to the body shell with the suspension removed.
Another approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,034 issued Jul. 8, 1986 to Kennedy, et al., is to mount the vehicle or vehicle body shell at both ends to a frame assembly and attach to a pair of upstanding mounting posts. The vehicle can then be raised up along the posts and rotated on the rotatable journal that connects the frame and the mounting posts. This apparatus adds to the overall length of the complete assembly, therefore taking up more space in the repair shop, it also does not allow for 360° rotation. There are also other similar rotational apparatus that exist and consist of the rotatable mounting frames that attach to brackets mounted to the front and rear end of the vehicle. While these inventions do allow for 360° rotation, they often put undue stress on the center of the chassis of the vehicle by literally hanging the vehicle from both ends with no support given to the center of the vehicle. This is especially a problem for vehicles with a lot of rust in the floor and rocker panel areas which are therefore weakened, and to convertibles with no roof structure to help support the center of the vehicle. These inventions also require a lower connecting bar to tie the mounting frames together to keep them from collapsing in when the vehicle is lifted and rotated. This lower connecting bar can be an obstacle that impedes movement around the vehicle while performing repairs. It also makes the apparatus difficult to move around uneven terrain or to load onto a car trailer. These inventions are also difficult to rotate with one person and require the worker to move from the workspace having to go to the end of the vehicle in order to lock the vehicle in place to stop its rotation.
Another approach is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,161 issued Jul. 12, 1994 to Stuck which teaches a devise including a pair of rings connected to a jet ski. The rings each have a flat edge on the top and bottom which provides a supporting surface when the jet ski is either upright or inverted. This invention is simple and inexpensive, but it requires space for the apparatus to travel across the floor when rotated. It also allows for full rotation, but it is only stationary when the jet ski is upright or inverted.